The invention relates to a monitoring system for a monitoring area comprising a monitoring camera for outputting a monitoring image, wherein the monitoring camera has a field of view for capturing a first partial section of the monitored region, a reflecting device, the reflecting device being disposed in the field of view of the monitoring camera; thus enabling the monitoring camera to capture a second partial section of the monitored region via the reflecting device, wherein the first and the second partial section are disposed in a common partial section of the monitoring area so as to overlap, a first image region depicting the first partial section and a second image region depicting the second partial section, and comprising an evaluator for evaluating the monitoring image. The invention further relates to a method for setting up the monitoring system.
One or a plurality of cameras is typically used for the image supported monitoring of public and private areas in order to be able to sufficiently cover the monitoring areas. In so doing, an area of conflict arises with regard to the system-technical layout of the image supported monitoring. This is due to the fact that, on the one hand, the monitoring areas are to be covered to the greatest possible extent and, on the other hand, cameras do however induce costs resulting from the initial investment as well as the servicing thereof, the data-technical link, etc. The system-technical layout of the image supported monitoring is thus to be conceived in such a manner that as few cameras as possible are to be used and the monitoring area is nevertheless to be sufficiently observed.
A particular monitoring system in this connection is known from the Japanese patent publication JP 2012 235 482 A. In this publication, a monitoring system is disclosed which comprises only a single camera, wherein a mirror is however disposed in the field of view of the camera, the mirror being oriented in such a manner that the camera is able to observe the monitoring area by means of said mirror. As a result, the camera can monitor a first direction of observation and a second direction of observation, the first direction of observation being defined by the camera alignment and the second direction of observation being determined or codetermined by the alignment of the mirror. During the evaluation process, provision is made in the monitoring system for the image detail in the first direction of view to be processed with a first algorithm and the image detail in the second direction of view to be processed with a second algorithm in order to determine the number of people in the image details in each case independently of one another.